A presidential candidate has proposed a policy recommendation to support caregivers. Pledging to invest in the “caring economy,” Hillary Clinton proposed a new tax credit and Social Security earning credits for those who care for aging parents and grandparents. We expect that more presidential candidates will discuss family caregiving issues as the campaign season heats up.

The Democratic presidential candidate touted her latest proposal at a town hall-style meeting in this Mississippi River city about 200 miles east of Des Moines. She is seeking a tax credit to help offset up to $6,000 in caregiving costs for elderly family members. The credit would apply to 20% of those expenses for a maximum tax bill savings of $1,200. She wants people to be able to earn credits toward their monthly Social Security retirement benefits during the time they drop out of the workforce to care for elderly relatives.

A Next Avenue piece on this story mentions the Family Caregiver Platform Project with a link under the subhead “Boosting Caregivers Social Security Benefits”. It’s a good report that gives other Democratic and Republican views. We’re also mentioned at the end of the article under “How to Motivate the Candidates”.

Read the full story at: http://www.nextavenue.org/how-hillary-clinton-wants-to-help-family-caregivers/

LA Times coverage: http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-hillary-clinton-taxes-20151123-story.html